Condensing apparatus.



I c. v. KEIIII.

CONDENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. 29. |913.

Patented 061;. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

II WA @Hor/11mg o COLUMBIA PLANOGRAIH co.,\vAsHINcI1-0N, D. c.

C. V. KERR.

CONDENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.29. I9I3.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'Snom/Ito@ @Hom/ava o COLUMBIA PLANouR/mn co.,wAsr1lNa'roN, u. c.

CONDENSING APPARATUS.

Application filed October 29, 1913.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES V. KERK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wellsville, in the county of Allegany and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CondensingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam condensing apparatus for engine plants andof the type which I have termed baro-surface condensing.

The objects of my invention are: First: To so arrange and construct thecirculating pump, condenser, and air pump, and connect up the same, asto enable the water passing through the condenser, to act and performthe function of withdrawing the air in the condenser which has beenliberated from the condensed exhaust steam. Second: 'Io so construct,arrange and connect up different elements comprising the system, that ahigh vacuum is produced in the condenser without the use of a costly andcomplicated piston air pump, thereby producing a most simple and eectivecondensing system, requiring a minimum use of water and repairs. Third:To construct and arrange the different elements comprising the apparatusso that a condensing plant is produced which is compact, of low firstcost, of high and constant efficiency, and in which all the parts areeasily assembled or taken apart, quickly inspected or repaired, and keptclean of incrustation. Fourth: To so construct and arrange the parts ofthe air-pump, and so conneet the same up in the apparatus, that a highvacuum is produced in a surface condenser without the use of a pistonair pump operated by steam or other motive fluid. Fifth: @ther objectsand advantages of the construction and arrangement of the sytem willappear from the detailed description of the preferred form, to behereinafter given.

rIhe invention consists of structural features and relative arrangementsof the elements comprising the invention which will be hereinafter morefully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings, illustrating the preferred formof my invention, in which similar reference characters indicate the sameparts in the several gures: Figure 1 is a side elevation of thecondensing system; Fig. 2 is a vertical longi- Speccation of LettersPatent.

Patented Uct. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 797,960.

tudinal section of the air pump on line II-II of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is atransverse section of the pump taken on line III-III of Fig. 2.

In the. drawings as shown in Fig. 1, the numeral 1 indicates acirculating pump of the centrifugal class, of any approved form, butmore especially of the type shown in my co-pending application forpatent, Serial No. 786,946 and iled August 27, 1913. 'Ihe inlet orsuction side of said pump 1 is connected by means of the pipe 2 with anysuitable cooling water supply 3. Interposed in the pipe 2 between thecooling water supply tank 3 and the suction inlet of the pump 1, isprovided a screen box 4 to intercept any impurities or floating materialand keep them from passing into the pump 1 and the condenser. 5 is anycondenser of the surface type, but preferably of the form shown in myco-pending application Serial No. 796,747, iiled Oct. 23, 1913, and isprovided with an upper steam inlet 6, a lower condensed steam outlet 7,and` a lower air collecting chamber 8, having an outlet 8. Saidcondenser 5 is also provided with a lower water inlet 9 and an upperwater outlet or discharge 10, said inlet 9 being connected by means of apipe 11 with the discharge outlet of the pump 1. In said pipe 11betweenthe inlet 9 of condenser 5 and discharge of the pump 1, isinterposed a check valve 12 to prevent the water from running downwardin the piping, if the pump 1 is stopped for any reason. At the top ofthe condensing system is provided an improved form of barometric7 airpump 13 which is carried by any suitable supports 13', and consists of acasing 14, preferably conical in shape (see Fig. 2) having an upperopening 15 and a lower opening or discharge 16. The opening 15 is closedby a circular perforated plate 17 through which is inserted the upperends of a series of vertical and depending tubes 18 of graduated length,the longest of said tubes being near the axis of the conical casing 14,and at the center section of the circularv plate 17, while the shortesttubes are nearest the outer edge of the plate 17 as shown in Fig. 2.Attached to the casing 14 and supported over the plate 17 and opening15, is a cap 19 provided with an upper water inlet 20. The upper andlarger end of the conical casing 14 is provided with an annularenlargement forming an air suction chamber 21, which is pro-- vided withan air inlet opening 22, said chamber 21 forming a ledge for receivingthe supports 13 ,of the air pump` 13. The water outlet opening 10 of thecondenser 5 is connected by a pipe 23 with the water inlet 20 of the airpump 13, and pipe 24 connects the outlet 8 of the air collecting chamber8 in the condenser 5 with the air inlet opening 22 of the air suctionchamber 21 within the air pump 13. The discharge or lower opening 16 ofthe airpump 13 is connected by a pipe 25, for conveyingthe water andentrained air, to a tail race 26.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The circulating pump 1having been primed, is put into operation and as soon as vacuum isformed, exhaust steam is passed through the upper inlet 6 and into thecondenser 5. Said pump draws the cooling water from the supply tank 3 upthe suc-V tion Ypipe 2 through the screen box 4 and forces said waterfrom the discharge of the pump beyond the check valve 12 through thepipe 11 into the lower water inlet 9 of the surface condenser 5, thencearound the outside of tubes of the surface condenser and out ofthedischarge opening l0 and up and through the pipe 23. The cooling waterreaching the upper end of the pipe 23 flows into inlet 20 of cap 19 ofthe air pump 13, and isdistributed uniformly over the perforated plate17, from whence said water Hows intoand down the depending tubes 18. Thewater discharging from the lower ends of the tubes 18 forms a series ofseparated water jets which present a large total surface to the air,said jets drawing, the air surrounding the tubes 18 and collected in theannular chamber 21, and continually forcing or ejecting the air into thelower section of the conical casing 14, where it becomes entrained withthe rapidly descending water fallingcthrough the discharge or loweropening 16 into the pipe 25 from which the air and water are conveyed tothe tail race 26.y As the cooling water continues to lflow Vdownwardlythrough the pipes 18, a high vacuum isproduced in the chamber 21, andthe Yair liberated from the condensed steam and collected atV the bottomof the condenser in the, air chamber 8, passes out through the openingy8 into the air discharge pipe 24, and is drawn through the inlet 22 intothe space surrounding the tubes 18, where said air is constantly andefflciently carried down and out with the dis-v charging water. Thusitvwill be seenY that the same water that is employed to condense theexhaust steam in the condenser is used-to evacuate the air from saidcondenser, and this construction and arrangement avoids lthe use of theusual costly and com- A plicated piston air pump, and reduces thecondensing system of a steam planty to its simplest and most efficientform.'- Furthermore, as the cooling water is taken from and dischargedto the same level, the power required in the circulating pump is onlythat necessary to overcome the friction in the piping and condenser, andon account of the large cross section of the condenser employed, thefrictional resistance is reduced to a minimum. Also in view of thecooling water discharged from the air pump carrying air with it at thetemperature of the water, the density of said water is less than normal,and it is found best to arrange the lower end of the air pump 13 fromthirty to forty feet above the level of the tail race 26,` and whilesomewhat higher than the usual barometric condensers, it is notdetrimental n the efficient operation thereof, as the vacuum in thebarometric air pump 13 is very high and assists in lifting the water tothe height mentioned.

As will be seen from the foregoing detailed description of the system,and its method of operation, all the objects and advantages of theinvention recited in the statement of invention, are fully andefIiciently carried out, and the condenser is capableof maintaining ahigh vacuum with a minimum consumption of cooling water and coal.

lVhat I claim is 1. A condensing apparatus comprising a surfacecondenser having a water inlet, a water outlet, an exhaust steam inlet,a condensed steam outlet and an air collecting chamber, an air ejectingpump casing having a water inlet connected above the barometric heightwith the water outlet of the condenser, a water outlet connected with atail race, and an air exhausting chamber connected with the aircollecting chamber of the condenser, a series of tubes within the airpump casing, said tubes being so arranged as to have their upper ends incommunication with the water inlet of the pump casing and their lowerends discharging into the water outlet of the pump casing and incommunication with the air exhausting chamber of the pump casing, and acirculating pump having its inlet connected with a cooling water supplyand its discharge connected with the inlet of the surface condenser.

2. A condensing apparatus comprising a surface condenser having a waterinlet, a water outlet, an exhaust steam inlet, a condensed steam outletand an air collecting chamber, an air ejecting pump casing disposed at ahigher level than the condenser having a water inlet connected above thebarometrc height with the water outlet of the condenser, a water outletconnected with a tail race, and an air exhausting chamber connected withthe air collecting chamber of the condenser, a series of separatedvertical tubes within the air pump casing, said tubes being so arrangedas to have their upper ends in communication with the water inlet of thepump casing and their lower ends discharging into the water outlet ofthe pump casing and in communication with the air exhausting chamber ofthe pump casing, and a circulating pump having its inlet connected witha cooling water supply and its discharge connected with the inlet of thesurface condenser.

3. A condensing apparatus comprising a surface condenser having a lowerwater inlet and an upper water outlet, an upper steam inlet, a lowercondensed steam outlet and a lower air collecting chamber, an airejecting pump casing having a water inlet connected above the barometricheight with the water outlet of the condenser, a water outlet con'nected with a tail race, and an air exhausting chamber connected withthe air collecting chamber of the condenser, a series of separatedvertical tubes of dierent lengths within the air pump casing, said tubeshaving their upper ends in a common plane and in communication with thewater inlet of the pump casing and their lower ends terminating indiii'erent planes and arranged to form a substantial conical congurationand discharge into the water outlet of the pump casing and incommunication with the air exhausting chamber of the pump casing, and acirculating pump having its inlet connected with a cooling water supplyand its discharge connected with the inlet of the surface condenser.

4f. A condensing system comprising a surface condenser having an aircollecting chamber, a circulating pump connected with the condenser, anair ejector pump consisting of a hollow conical casing having an upperwater inlet at the larger end of the casing connected with thecondenser, and a water outlet at the smaller end, an annular airexhausting chamber at the larger end of the casing having an inletopening connected with the air collecting chamber of the condenser, anda series of separated tubes within the conical casing and projectingthrough the air chamber, said tubes having their upper endscommunicating with the upper water inlet and their lower endsdischarging into the outlet of the casing.

5. A condensing system comprising a surface condenser having an aircollecting chamber, a circulating pump connected with the condenser, anair ejector pump situated above the condenser and consisting of a hollowconical casing having an upper water inlet or opening at the larger endof the casing connected with the condenser, and a water outlet at thesmaller end, an annular air exhausting chamber at the larger end of thecasing having an inlet opening connected with the air collecting chamberof the condenser, a perforated plate interposed in the water inlet oropening of the pump, and a series of separated tubes within the conicalcasing and projecting through the air chamber, said tubes having theirupper ends se cured in the perforated plate and communieating with theupper water inlet and their lower ends discharging into the outlet ofthe casing.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES VOLNEY KERR.

Witnesses:

VOLNEY A. Knien, ELIZABETH A. KERK.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

